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Health Canada issued a notice on Saturday for some people who may want the recently approved Pfizer BioTech vaccine as provinces were ready to receive their first doses next week to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The department said Canadians who have allergies to any of the vaccine’s ingredients should not be given it. Health Canada found that two people in the UK reported severe allergic reactions to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on December 8, the first day of the UK’s mass vaccination program.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved by Health Canada on Wednesday. The first cans are expected to arrive by UPS on Monday.
The first cans for Canada left a factory in the Belgian town of Puurs on Friday. The delivery had planned stops in Germany and Kentucky.
CLOCK | Maj. Gen. Dany Fortin on COVID-19 vaccine to Canada:
Canada’s very first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are in transit via UPS. Major General Dany Fortin is responsible for all the details and logistics of the critical process and spoke to Nil Koksal about managing the entire process. 3:26
Also on Friday, senior health officials warned Canadians against complacency in protecting themselves against respiratory disease while the wait for the vaccine continues.
Canada is still on a “rapid growth path” in COVID-19 cases and the number of deaths from respiratory illness could reach nearly 15,000 in another two weeks, said Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam.
More than 13,250 deaths have been attributed to the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. The current case number of more than 448,000 could rise to an estimated 577,000 by Christmas Day, according to federal forecasts.
According to Tam, an average of 12,000 new cases of infection could occur daily in Canada through the beginning of January, with increasing hospitalizations and deaths “unless significant reductions in contact rates are achieved”.
What’s happening across Canada?
As of 2:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada was 453,257, with 73,112 of these cases considered active. A CBC news bulletin of deaths based on provincial reports, regional health information, and CBC reports totaled 13,337.
in the British ColumbiaA senior on Vancouver Island says she was exempt from a COVID-19 subsidy after crossing just $ 4 above the qualification threshold.
Sheila Chaisson, a 67-year-old from Courtenay, said she couldn’t afford to buy anything after losing the $ 300 monthly relief, adding, “I really had to stretch to get myself masks and disinfectant to be able to afford and all the things that I need due to the pandemic. “
in the AlbertaThe number of positive COVID-19 tests in a pilot for international travelers at Calgary Airport and a United States border crossing in southern Alberta was relatively low after the first six weeks.
Saskatchewan There were 274 new COVID-19 cases and 11 more deaths on Saturday.
CLOCK | Sask. Woman who no longer feels well with COVID-19 or is seriously ill:
In our province, hospital stays continue to increase. Kathy Ziglo is on the COVID-19 path, but she is still shocked at how quickly she got seriously ill. Bonnie Allen delivers her story. 2:34
Manitoba reported 360 new cases and 18 more deaths. Of the deaths reported on Saturday, eight are related to outbreaks in nursing homes in Winnipeg, including three at the Charleswood Care Center, two at Oakview Place and three at the Park Manor Care Home.
Ontario‘s Health ministers reported 1,873 new cases on Saturday with a record 65,300 tests completed. The province also reported 17 other deaths.
Quebec recorded 1,898 new cases and 40 more deaths.
A customer wearing a face mask leaves a bakery in Saint-Sauveur, Que on Saturday. (Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press)
New Brunswick reported a new case as the Edmundston area began its first day in the orange phase of restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported three new cases, two of which are travel-related.
Nova Scotia Seven new cases were added on Saturday, but the number of cases went down from 65 to 61.
Health officials also urged local residents who live near the Eden Valley poultry factory in Berwick to test for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure, which has been closed in an outbreak of cases.
in the Prince Edward IslandDr. Chief Public Health Officer Heather Morrison and Premier Dennis King said it was possible the so-called breaker measures could be relaxed before December 21, after the province had not reported any new cases for four days.
What’s happening around the world?
As of Saturday, more than 71.3 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, of which more than 45.5 million are considered recovered or resolved, according to a tracking tool maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll was more than 1.6 million.
CLOCK | Hold on and stay safe while the vaccinations begin, says WHO:
As the vaccinations begin, the World Health Organization’s technical director, Maria Van Kerkhove, is passionate about protecting yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 in 2021. 1:48
in the EuropeThe French government allows nursing home residents to spend time with their families and receive visits – even if residents respond positively to coronavirus – what the country’s deputy health minister in charge of elderly affairs calls an attempt at the ghost from Christmas to promote in nursing homes.
About a third of the more than 57,500 virus deaths in France occurred in nursing homes. Residents have been subjected to rigorous detention, including being confined to their rooms, to contain infections. The relaxed rules apply from Tuesday to January 3rd.
in the AsiaSouth Korea has reported another 950 coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase since the pandemic began, as fears of overwhelmed hospitals in the greater Seoul area mount.
The government had lowered its limits on physical distancing to the lowest level in October, despite experts warning of a virus surge in colder weather when people spend extended hours indoors. Officials have restored some restrictions over the past few weeks, such as: For example, closing nightclubs and allowing restaurants to deliver and take-out after 9 p.m. may be forced to restrict economic activity further.
Medical workers wearing personal protective equipment are seen at a COVID-19 testing center in Seoul on Saturday. (Lee Jin-man / The Associated Press)
By doing AmericaPeru suspended an advanced phase study of Chinese state-owned Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine after a 64-year-old volunteer developed muscle weakness.
The Peruvian Ministry of Health says that “the adverse event will be investigated to see if it is related to the vaccine or if there is some other explanation.” Sinopharm began its Phase 3 study in Peru in September. It includes 12,000 people aged 18 to 75 years.
in the Africa, Nigeria could be on the verge of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, the country’s health minister warned.
Osagie Ehanire recently traced a surge in cases in Nigeria – the continent’s most populous nation of 200 million people, which has seen 72,000 confirmed cases with more than 1,100 deaths – to an increase in infections in communities and to a lesser extent Travelers entering the country.